WestJet
Client
WestJet Airlines
Date
2021 – 2022
My Involvement
Lead Product Designer
User Research and Interviews
UX and Design Strategy
Wireframes and Prototypes
UI Designs
Usability Testing
The Client
Airline pilots used to carry large textbooks onto the plane as their all-things pilots manual. WestJet became one of the early adopters of transforming this into a digital experience for pilots. Making a revolutionary leap forward in aviation history for pilots to do their jobs in a modern tech world.
The Problem
- • Outdated usability designs
- • Previous application was not scalable and was designed for the Q400 airliners and not for the Jet airliners
- • Out dated designs with no cohesive design language
- • Previous designs were attached to a 9+ year old code, which made it hard to update the platform
- • UI and technology did not communicate well with other applications from the flight attendants
The Solution
- • User interviews with over 14+ pilots to gain trust and make them feel heard and documented empathy mapping
- • Ensured updated UI designs followed current WestJet design guidelines
- • Bridged the communication gap between the Q400 and Jetliner pilots to ensure both sides aligned with design strategy
- • Rapid low-fidelity wireframes for multiple usability testing to validate designs with aggressive launch deadlines
- • Working close with Apple (Cupertino, CA) Design team bi-weekly to valid and align Apple Design Languages are met for iPad use
The Product and Outcomes
I always dreamed of getting my pilot’s license one day, so this project was extra special for me. There was a large fun learning curve I had to go through to understand not only what the pilots do and how they need the application to work for them but also the aviation language for me to eventually speak to them which helped me gain their trust that I was there to help them. The final product was launched with great praise and we were able to continue testing its usability further as getting the new iPads approved for the airplanes took a while. We were able to measure that the new designs and process improved usability and reduced cognitive load for the pilots.
- • Modernized and updated to be cohesive with WestJet's current design language
- • Scalable application for long term growth and usage
- • Improved usability and reduced cognitive load validated via usability testing
- • Optimized user flows and added Night Mode
